Cerebral palsy is a movement disorder that causes a range of debilitating symptoms. A child with cerebral palsy may suffer from difficulty controlling his or her muscles, vision and hearing problems, difficulty eating and speaking, seizures, and more. About a third of cerebral palsy sufferers also experience intellectual and learning impairments. The causes of cerebral palsy are not fully understood, however, there are cases in which a child’s cerebral palsy is caused by a doctor’s failure to provide competent medical care during pregnancy, labor, or delivery.
Causes of Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is most commonly caused by atypical brain development before, during, or shortly after a child’s birth. Many different types of factors can cause a child to develop cerebral palsy, including:
- Maternal infections
- Reduced blood to the infant’s brain or fetal stroke
- Brain bleeds
- Infant infections
- Traumatic head injury
- Lack of oxygen to the brain
Medical Negligence Can Lead to Cerebral Palsy
Medical professionals have a legal obligation to provide medical care that meets the accepted medical standard. If an obstetrician or other medical professional makes a mistake or uses poor judgment and this leads to a patient’s injury or death, the medical professional may be liable for damages.
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